Blushin' Roulette
by Lonestarr
Summary: Kim wanted a quiet evening at home. Unfortunately, there are those who like it loud.
1. Quiet Night at Home?

Disclaimer: I don't own "Kim Possible" (Mark McCorkle, Bob Schooley and Disney). I don't own _Panic Room_, either (David Koepp and Columbia Pictures). I have no idea why I just typed that...or do I?

Chapter 1 - Quiet Night at Home?

(...Kim's bedroom...dusk...)

"Okay, blinds closed..." The curtains are drawn. "...doors locked...computer off." The monitor goes dead. Kim leaps onto her bed. "No embarrassment. No embarrassment." She shuts her eyes, in the hope of blocking out the enormity of her situation. Her eyes bolt open. "Oh, wait. The phone." Kim reaches her hand to the wire. Before she can unhook it, the phone rings. She hesitates a little. After all, someone took the time to call and it would be bad manners to just cut them off.

She picks up the receiver. "Hello?"

"Kim. It's..." Josh. She can't help but grimace in light of recent events.

"Josh! Look, I-I'm so sorry about your shirt. I..."

"Kim, I-I just wanted to see if you were okay."

She lies on her bed. Her eyes are drawn to the mini-vortex on (or should that be 'in'?) her stomach. "I'm fine, for the most part."

"Listen, I know this is kind of...last-second, but do you want to hang out, tonight? I don't know..."

"Yes! I mean, no. I mean..." Kim lets her receiver-clad hand fall to her side. She had wanted this for so long: Josh Mankey, the guy of her dreams, calling her up and asking her to hang out. Okay, so it wasn't quite the 'date' she expected, but this was better than nothing. Unfortunately...

She allowed her gaze southward once more. That damned vortex. It seemed to be mocking her. Wade made her aware of the effects of the pollen from the Aurora Orchid: enough embarrassment and it's exit, stage left for the unlucky victim. As much as she loved the idea of being with Josh, he was just too intimidating for her. Sure, she can do anything, but _should_ she?

She puts the phone back to her ear.

"So, how about it?"

"Josh...I would love to, but...you see..." She looks at her midsection. "...there's this...thing at home."

"Oh. And there's no way you can get out of it?"

The receiver tightens in her grip. "You have no idea how much I'd like to."

"Ah. Maybe some other time."

"Yeah, maybe."

"Catch you later."

"Yeah." Kim hangs up the phone. She walks away from it and starts to pace. "This is the right thing. This is the right thing. This is the right thing..." Kim repeated her mantra over and over. In the back of her mind, she thought to herself, _Wherever Drakken is, he will pay for this!_

(...the streets of Middleton...)

The activities that occur in the busy metropolis - vehicles driving, people milling about - are, despite being so mundane, a great source of calm and order.

However, given the circular vehicle leaving a trail of smoke high in the sky, it is clear that calm and order are not on the visitor's agenda.

"Shego! How close are we to the target?"

The pale woman consults the GPS locating system. "Thirty-four miles and closing. We should be there in about twenty minutes." It turned out to be a pretty good investment, after all.

For Dr. Drakken, this visit had a special purpose. He needed to check up on one of his "patients".

He chuckles as the airship cruises by.

(...Kim's bedroom...five minutes later...)

The redhead slouches on the edge her bed with her hands hanging down. She dare not risk her safety by stepping out. She still stung from turning down Josh Mankey, but there would be other opportunities.

The ringing of her phone disrupts her period of social mourning. She forgot to unhook it from the last time. (Another ring.) Should she pick it up? (And another...) It might be Ron. He may have found the Orchid. Her hand reaches out. (And another...) No, that's ridiculous. It's not like there's a pay phone behind every frond in South America. (And another...) Even if there was, the resultant bill would be ginormous. Dad would hit the roof. (And another...)

She picks it up. Damn her and her politeness.

"Hello?" Kim is quite nervous.

"Hey, Kim."

The shaky tone hardens, like ice. "Hello, Bonnie. What do you want?"

"I just wanted to chat. That's not a problem for you, is it?"

"Can't imagine why it would be."

"Good, 'cause I saw the funniest thing today. This girl at the mall - a real uncoordinated type - fell down the escalator and nearly took Josh down with her." Kim grimaced as Bonnie recounted the story. "Oh, wait, that girl was _you_!" The snotty girl's derisive laughter was the icing on the cake. Kim felt a tightness in her gut as the swirling vortex where her navel once was grew slightly bigger, increasing half an inch in diameter.

The redhead tosses the phone away. It bounces off the walls. Kim unhooks the phone cord and takes a deep breath. "This is not a problem." She lies on the bed. Another cleansing breath.

Her gaze turns toward the blank screen of her computer; there's a report due in a couple of days. In her zeal to avoid embarrassment (like obnoxious message board posters insulting and misinterpreting her comments), it had slipped her mind. She switches on the monitor and waits for it to boot up. She looks up at the printer. A fresh ink cartridge was put in yesterday, so there would be no problems getting it out.

After about a minute and a half, which can seem like a lifetime to computer junkies like she claimed not to be, the familiar icons appear on her screen. Kim cruises past icons like 'Freecell' and 'Diary', arriving at the one marked 'Napoleon'.

The file opens, revealing a great deal of text. All that really needed to be done was proofreading.

She moves her mouse, but hears a rumbling sound. Oh, man. The pollen must be working triple time if... Kim exhales in relief. The gurgle that Kim hears is not from the vortex...

"Man, I'm starving."

...but from hunger.

Kim heads for the steps. "I hope Ron's doing better than I am."

(...the Amazon river...)

Ron has a sturdy crew: Rufus, his resourceful naked mole rat and tech wizard/boy genius Wade, working with the two of them, via a mechanized helper known as the Wade-bot. He has a mission: locate the Aurora Orchid to restore Kim's lost self. Lastly, he has a mode of transportation: a fishing boat known as The African Queen.

However, the boat that Ron had rented to travel was facing some problems. For one thing, the paint was chipping off. Apparently, it's cheaper than in the states. What's more, the pre-existing communications system was nothing more than a ham radio. That device was an antique when Ron's parents were his age. Oh, and there was one other little dilemma...

"Rapids!"

"Rapids? Those aren't on the map." On the monitor, Wade shrinks picture-in-picture style revealing a map of the water.

"No." Ron turns the monitor around, allowing a better view. "They're right in front of us!"

The ship bounces about the choppy waters. The young man paddles as best as he can. The craft spins around in the chaos of the river. Rufus heads to the back of the boat. He tries to turn the tiller. It breaks off. From his bedroom, Wade does some typing. The Wade-bot sprouts a propeller on a tube. The tube goes into the water. The crewmates brace themselves as the boat forges ahead.

The water smoothes out once again. Ron stands up, a smile on his freckled face. Thank goodness that's over.

Rufus tugs at his pant leg. It's a waterfall.

"That's not on the map." 'Is Wade kidding me with this?', Ron thought to himself. Rufus grabs onto his owner, who, in turn, hugs the Wade-bot. They all scream as the boat goes tumbling down the falls. SMASH! Crushed on the rocks below.

A light whirring sound from above the wreckage. The Wade-bot sails through the sky, a hang-glider as its salvation. Ron and Rufus, within its tubed arms, smile relievedly at this development.

"It feels good to get out of my room once in a while", the boy genius beams.

(...the streets of Middleton...five minutes later...)

"Set it down...there!"

Shego sets the airship down in a tree. It's not too far from their ultimate destination.

"So Kimmie hasn't been at Bueno Nacho or the mall."

"Logically, she would want to hide in a safe place. And what safer place is there for one to hide than one's own home?"

The two wrong-doers make their way toward the Possible home. Shego notices that Drakken sounds more confident than usual. Maybe there was a chance that this plan may work. The fiery brunette dare not say anything, though. One, it would throw into chaos the half-crazed employer/smart-mouthed employee relationship and two, this early in the plan, she didn't wish to jinx it.

(...the living room...)

Kim had debated whether or not she ought to go downstairs. Granted, she hadn't eaten since breakfast (School lunches...ugh!), and the lower level of the house was where all the food was, but... She doesn't have to worry about her parents, as they are both working late. Her brothers, on the other hand...

The redhead holds her nose with her left hand and covers her...problem with a book in the right.

She heads down the stairs cautiously. The rushing in of her brothers interrupts her stealth mode.

"Oh, tweebs! Give someone fair warning before you let one rip like that!"

Jim adjusts the clothespin on his nose. "First of all, she who smelt it, dealt it."

"And second, that wasn't us." Tim jerks his thumb toward the backyard. "It was an experiment we're working on."

"A new rocket fuel with the potential to be ten times more powerful than regular gasoline."

Kim waves the air around her. "It's ten times more powerful than natural gasoline, that's for sure. Wait. What is this gas made from?"

"You know, stuff..."

"...regular, ordinary, found-around-the-house-stuff."

Jim and Tim walk away.

"Riiiiiiight." Kim walks over to the junk drawer. Flashlight, rubber bands, pennies...ah! A book of matches. She sees a thick red candle on the mantle.

Kim rips a match from the set of 18 and flips the book over. Tim looks back. He snatches the stick from her.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing!"

"What do you think _you're_ doing?" The argument has drawn Jim's attention.

"Getting that horrid smell out of here."

"The gas has the potential to be ten times as powerful as regular gas, and ten times as potent. One little spark and..."

"Ka-boom!" Jim yells out. The redhead is startled.

"Fine." Kim puts the matchbook on a nearby table.

She walks over to the window next to the drawer. She opens it. "The breeze will be nice." Kim glances up at the sky. The clouds seem to be turning gray.

"Looks like rain. Well, better rain than bad gas." The redhead takes a breath. "Should be a quiet night, at least."


	2. Not So Good for Visitors

Chapter 2 - Not So Good for Visitors

(...the kitchen...five minutes later...)

Kim opens the refrigerator door. She gets a look at the various items within: pre-tossed salad, tomato juice, leftover brain loaf (why her mother likes making it, she'll never understand), applesauce... nothing looks good to her. Her eyes find the produce bin. It's filled with apples.

The redhead grabs one and closes the bin. She takes a bite and savors its sweetness. Just because her life is in danger doesn't mean she has to starve. A slight noise from the living room. Without releasing the fruit, Kim moves carefully toward the source of the ruckus.

(...the living room...)

She looks around. There's no one there. As she moves closer, she stubs her toe on the bookcase. This causes a book to fall from the shelf. It opens on a page of pictures...baby pictures.

Kim sees the curtains rustling in the breeze. She must've forgotten to close the window. Lousy tweebs and their stupid, stinking experiment.

She closes the window. Out of the corner of her eye, she notices that the refrigerator door is still open. 'How could I forget that, too?', she thought to herself. 'I'm just on edge. Ron will find the flower and bring it back. No big.' A few raindrops dot the window as she walks away from it.

Kim walks past the offending bookcase, but the picture book is no longer there.

(...the kitchen...)

She closes the refrigerator door and takes another bite from her apple. She sighs to herself and heads for the stairs.

The redhead makes it two steps before she spots a photograph resting on the couch. She walks over to it.

The picture is of Kim. She's but a year old in the picture, holding a rubber duck. She's also naked; it was her first bath. Kim becomes wistful at the memory, and a bit thankful that Mom and Dad didn't film it; how contrived...er, um, silly would that have been? She puts the snapshot on the couch.

"Oh, Kimberly..."

Kim is brought out of her comfort zone by a voice...a strangely familiar male voice.

"...staying in tonight?"

No! It couldn't be!

"I can't imagine why." The voice starts laughing diabolically. How in the world...!

As Kim turns around, a figure slowly rises from beside the couch. "You!"

"Yes, me." The doctor is in...sane.

Kim stands in total shock. A knowing look crosses her features; if Drakken is here, then...

Before she can complete her thoughts, Shego appears from behind and grabs Kim's hands, keeping them behind the redhead's back.

The blue man takes the picture book from his back and opens it. "My, weren't you a cute little dickens? Not at all the nuisance you are today."

Kim tries to struggle her way free, but the pale woman puts the squeeze on her arms. The girl lets out a groan.

"Wasn't she adorable, Shego?"

"Yeah. Cute like a stomach pump." The henchwoman's trademark non-enthusiasm is, as always, on display.

Drakken flips through a few more pages. "And look here. Your first day with braces. A momentous occasion to be sure, captured forever. A little like you."

As the mad scientist resumes laughing, Kim lets out a groan. The vortex expands by another inch in diameter. Her knees buckle a bit. Shego can't help but join in the laughing. This is some kind of fun.

Kim exhales and raises her foot. She stomps it down on Shego's. The pain causes the woman to let go and yell. The redhead high-kicks the book from Drakken's hands. She closes the book and picks it up. He skitters away.

The redhead's eyes find him. "You like this book?" She frisbees it at him. "Here!" He ducks before it strikes.

Kim glances over at Shego on the floor, then the phone. Kim races for it, but the woman tosses a ball of green fire at it. The girl rears back at the charred remains of the device. The rain outside increases in intensity.

She looks around for Drakken, but she can't see him around.

Kim assumes a fighting stance. Her green-clad nemesis does the same.

"What do you think you're doing here?"

Shego shrugs a little. "You know Drakken; Mr. 'finish-what-I-start'."

The women circle each other. "Well, it looks like I have you both on trespassing and breaking and entering."

"We may have entered, but we didn't exactly break." The woman jerks a thumb toward the once-open window.

Kim's carelessness allowed them safe passage. She can feel the diameter increase further. The girl sinks to her knees.

"It's not really my style, but I have to hand it to Drakken..." Kim perks up at this. "...this is much more fun than some stupid deathtrap." Shego gets a look at the ear-to-ear grin on Kim's face. "What?"

The redhead slowly rises to her feet. Kim reaches her hand under, placing a death grip on Shego's wrist. She looks down, then back to Kim. She tries to break free, but can't.

Kim looks from her stomach to Shego and pulls her hand to the vortex. "Don't worry. You can always hand it to me."

The girl sticks the woman's hand inside. Shego cries out as she tries to pull herself free. The more she tugs, the harder it becomes to get loose. Kim smiles at her futility.

After a minute, Shego pulls her hand out. The force of her tug sends her crashing into the wall behind her. She checks her hand for completion. Everything is where it should be. Shego cradles her hand and glares at Kim. "You're sick!"

"I guess that's because you're contagious."

With a roar, Shego charges at Kim, who leaps out of her way.

"You can't win."

"And why is that?"

Kim jumps onto the couch. "'Cause I've got home-field advantage." She takes a step sideways and slips on the picture of her in the bath. She hits the floor.

Shego walks over to where she fell. "Oh, diddums fall down?"

Kim starts to groan again. That last bit took a lot out of her. Cheerleading is mainly for the graceful, the agile, the coordinated, and losing your footing because of a picture is not something to be particularly proud of.

She looks down at herself. Her arms? Check. Her bust? Check. Her abdomen? Check. Her legs? Missing. The thunder rumbles outside.

Shego puts her blazing hands together. Kim covers herself. This was not going to be pleasant.

A streak of light illuminates the sky outside, like the Gods are picking a target to hit. The lights go out. The sound of crackling electricity can be heard.

Shego looks around as best as she can, then provides a natural light source, courtesy of her fists of fury. Kim is no longer in front of her.

The woman yells out. Another strike of lightning. In the flash, the double doors to the living room are open.

(...the hall closet...)

Kim rests on the floor among the shoes and umbrellas. Her breathing is very labored, befitting someone running for their life.

She looks up at the coats and shirts hanging up. She leans against the wall. She is safe.

_"Well, she can't have gone far. She's just a torso."_

...at least, for a few moments.

_"She's got to be around here somewhere!"_

_"Did you leave the living room doors open?"_

Kim puts her hand to her mouth.

_"No. I closed them. I can't believe she has a living room with _doors_!"_

_"The Life of Riley."_

She again looks up at the coats. A look of inspiration hits her face. She grabs onto the hem of a fuzzy winter coat and starts to climb. For someone who's scaled mountains and the rope in gym class, a mere coat was nothing.

_"Who's he?"_

_"Never mind. Hey, maybe she went into that closet."_

Kim gasps. She's only halfway up the garment. No doubt about it; her end is nigh.

The door flies open. Shego and Drakken look about the closet. Nothing but shoes and coats and...

"Hatboxes!", Shego yells.

"Unbelievable! She could spend all her time in this castle, but no! She has to wreck my plans!" He slams the door.

_"Maybe she went to her room."_

_"On the second floor? Shego, that's just foolish."_

_"Watch it."_

The winter coat shakes a little. From the neck hole rises Kim. She raises her arms, which allows her to slip out of the garment. She grabs the inner lining and slowly lowers herself to the floor.

Kim sighs in defeat. This may not be the worst night of her life, but it definitely makes the list.

(...the jungle...)

Tigers and tigers and tigers. Oh, man. This was not a safe spot to land. Ron runs away from the vicious beasts, Rufus in his pocket and the Wade-bot at his side. The young man stops short of running off a cliff.

The mechanized member of the team sprouts hydraulic arms and leaps off the edge.

The team plunges through the air. Ron is looking very worried. On the monitor, Wade types onto his keyboard. A door on the Wade-bot opens, offering a solution to the gravity problem...or not.

A parachute was supposed to fly out, but, apparently, Wade had never gotten around to installing it. In the back of his mind, Ron can't help but think to himself, 'Wade's supposed to be the smart one!'.

With a scream, Ron prepares for the worst. Suddenly, Ron bounces onto a giant leaf. And another. And one more before hitting the ground. Who knew that this part of the rainforest had such bountiful foliage? The blonde boy made a mental note: when he gets back, donate money to help save the rainforests...as a means of returning the favor.

He turns around a bit and sees an exotic looking purple flower. Could it be? He remembers back to when he was being briefed. The resemblance is uncanny.

Ron pads himself down. It might've been a good idea to bring some digging tools, but with today's security measures on planes, a trowel or a spade would not have been viable options. Lucky for him he owns a Rufus.

The boy opens his pocket and brings out his naked mole rat. The animal goes to work on the plant, digging it out with his teeth.

Ron grabs the plant, but, for the first time since landing, notices the Wade-bot. The machine is crumpled in a heap not far from the flower.

"No. It was his first mission", Ron solemnly states as he picks up the pieces of his associate.

Rufus tugs at his pant leg. "Leave him!"

"No. No one gets left behind." Ron couldn't help it. In spite of the mishaps, the Wade-bot was a vital part of the team and the success of the mission. So what if it was the remains of a machine that Ron cradled in his arms; in his mindset, he may as well have been holding the real Wade.

The Kimmunicator beeps on. It's Wade. "Ron. I'm fine. Get back to the plant."

So much for that touching moment.

(...the hall closet...)

Kim continues to rest and huff. She thinks about her current problem.

(...the upstairs hallway...)

The lights seem to flicker back on. Of course, the back-up generator. Drakken looks toward some steps, while Shego heads down in the other direction.

A door opens. "Yeah, it must be the generator..." Jim looks up at the green-suited woman blocking his path.

"Evening, little man."

Before he can do anything else, Jim is scooped up by the female intruder. His squirming around does nothing to deter her. She clamps her hand over his mouth and rushes back to his room.

The door slams.

(...Kim's room...moments later...)

Drakken looks around at his arch-foe's sanctum. He groans at seeing how nice it looks, much nicer than any place he's been.

He hunches over on her computer desk. The screen, which was blank due to non-usage, burst back to life. The blue individual looks at the icon labeled 'Diary' and smiles wickedly.

He clicks on the icon. He groans. 'Password required'. He types in 'Possible'. 'Password rejected'. Of course, it wouldn't be so obvious.

'Drakken'. 'Password rejected'. She didn't think enough of him to make him the password. How very rude.

'Buffoon'. 'Password rejected'. This was gonna take some time.

(...the hallway...)

The door of the closet opens. Kim peeks her head out. The coast seems to be clear. She plants her hands firmly on the floor. She 'walks' through the corridor...on her hands.

She hasn't heard from the tweebs in quite a while. Maybe... she had to get to a phone. Call the police. The one in the living room didn't fare so well. The kitchen!

(...the kitchen...moments later...)

Kim continues her 'walk'. She looks up at the phone on the wall, out of her reach. She grunts in anger.

The redhead sidles over to the table and pushes a chair next to the phone. She climbs onto the chair. She reaches up to the phone, but it rings before she can grab it.

"Hello?"

"Hey, K. B. I still can't believe you at the mall. I mean, that's just pathetic."

Kim can feel herself weakening, but she steels herself. "Bonnie, how is it you can waste time to call?"

"My own cell. Can't think of a better way to eat up my free minutes."

"You wanna talk pathetic? How about that time in ninth grade when you were practicing and you did a split that ripped your skirt? And wasn't that also the day you decided to go without underwear?" A squeak from the other end. "How would you like the whole school to find out about that day?"

"You-you wouldn't."

"But you would."

Kim hears another squeak and a beep.

(...Jim & Tim's room...)

"The phone stopped ringing." Shego heads for the door. "She's downstairs. I'll get her."

Drakken puts his hand on his assistant's shoulder. "I have a better idea."

(...the kitchen...)

Kim sits (or stands, at this point) on the chair. She reaches up and dials. Her fingers press '9-1'.

"Oh, Kimberly? These boys and I like a word with you." There's a confident, taunting edge to the mad doctor's words. Her eyes widen.

(...the stairs...five minutes later...)

Holding onto the railing, Kim heads up. She reaches the landing and falls.

She notices that the door to Jim & Tim's room is ajar. She 'walks' to the door.

(...Jim & Tim's room...)

Kim glances at her brothers. They are tied up back to back in two chairs, a balled-up sock in each mouth. They whine as best as they can. The sound seems to resemble the words 'look out'.

The door slams. Kim turns around; Shego is behind it. Drakken steps out of the closet. In his hands, he holds fifty fresh pages.

"I'm so glad you could join us. We wouldn't want you to miss your own funeral, would we?"

The redhead stares at the blue man; what could he be talking about?

Drakken straightens the pages. "'September 8th: Josh Mankey said 'Hi.' to me, and I didn't even have to say anything first. He is so hot.' Juicy."

The color drains from Kim's face. She groans as two inches fade away from her torso. Drakken tosses the papers to his henchwoman. She flips over a page.

"'September 9th: I don't know if I should tell you this, but I caught a glance at Bonnie changing after practice, and it felt kind of...good. If only she wasn't such a witch with a capital 'B'.' Wow."

Two more inches depart from Kim's torso. Tears escape her eyes. She sticks her fingers in her ears.

"Oh, no, no, no", Shego sing-songs as she tosses the diary to Drakken. She grabs Kim's arms, which leaves her hearing unobstructed.

Never before has the teenager felt so helpless.


	3. We Will Show Them Out

Chapter 3 - We Will Show Them Out

(...Jim & Tim's room...)

The lights flicker; the generator seems to be overtaxed. With occasional rumbles of thunder, the rain dapples the window.

Kim is motionless thanks to Shego's grip. "How did...how did you...?" Her voice is strained from sadness and defeat.

"...stumble onto this treasure trove of ammunition?" The mad doctor, on the other hand, can barely contain his glee.

(...Kim's room...minutes earlier...)

Drakken types at the keyboard of Kim's computer for what must be the hundredth time. He rises from the screen. His annoyed look changes to one of inspiration.

(...Jim and Tim's room...)

Shego bursts in, Jim under her arm. Vivaldi's "The Four Seasons", the tweebs' music of choice for contemplating, flows from the sound system. She tosses her captive at his twin.

Drakken storms in. "The password to your sister's diary. What is it?"

"Like we'd tell you." Speaking in unison. Their defiance knows no boundary.

"Shego." ...tosses a ball of green flame at the sound system, putting an end to the music. The boys gape at the wreckage. The woman blows on her hand and buffs it on her suit.

The boys look quite shocked. "Buttercup."

_"Your brothers were amazingly cooperative."_

Kim looks over at her captive siblings. Her expression is not of anger, but of melancholy.

Jim & Tim each produce a noise, which sounds like 'we're sorry'.

The redhead looks back to Drakken. "Do what you want to me, but let them go. They didn't do anything."

"True, but it wouldn't be much fun bragging about this to just Shego." He adjusts the papers. "Now, where was I? Ah, yes. September 16th: 'Ron never fails to keep me on edge. Just this morning, we were assigned to work on a class project and he loses the worksheet. We spent the whole day looking for it. After lunch, people were pointing and laughing at me. It was stuck to my butt the whole time.'"

Kim groans louder. The boys gaze in horror as their sister's bust disappears.

"Stop..." The girl's pleas fall on deaf ears. Drakken and Shego exchange duties.

The green-clad woman walks around while looking at the papers. "'September 18th: 'I saw Josh in the hallway today. He was heading into the art room. I heard that he's an artist. What I wouldn't give for him to paint me. Not my picture..._me_! My body would be his canvas, and I could provide my own...paint thinner.'" Shego's eyes goggle at the last part. "I had you pegged all wrong, Princess."

Kim's mouth puckered in on itself. Where there was once a pair of lips able to craft a witty statement or offer a kiss, there was now a smooth wall of skin between her chin and her nose. The girl starts to sob.

She feels herself being dropped to the floor. Through her tear-soaked eyes, she sees Shego hand the diary off to Drakken.

"September 20th: 'I--"

Another lightning strike. This one puts the lights out. Drakken drops the pages out of surprise and lets out a yell.

"What happened?"

"Must've been the storm. Where's Possible?"

Kim looks over at where her brothers are. She walks over and reaches blindly at the rope. She grasps a bit and tugs with all her might. Jim and Tim wiggle free from the bounds. They take the socks out of their mouths and each sling an arm over their necks.

"Maybe she went out", Shego offers.

"She can barely reach the knob. How could she get out?"

Kim can hear the noise from near the closet. They aren't by the door. Tim reaches up and turns the knob.

The door opens and the Possibles run out. Given all that she's lost, her head is swimming, but one thought remains clear in her head: She hoped that the tweebs didn't understand the 'paint thinner' remark.

Drakken and Shego look at the open door.

(...the dining room...minutes later...)

The siblings hide under the table, a table cloth for some slight protection. Even though the lights are out, this, as a hiding place, is rather sub-par, but they were fending for their lives. This was not a time to be particular.

"Kim, how did this..."

"...happen to you?"

Her response is an annoyed grunt. If she had a mouth, this would've been easier.

_"You call that a knot?"_

Kim looks up fearfully.

_"What do I look like? A Girl Scout?"_

_"You said you sold Girl Scout cookies as a kid."_

(...the living room...)

Drakken and Shego walk in.

"No. I said I _stole_ Girl Scout cookies as a kid. See, this is why we need to improve our communication skills."

Drakken gives a slight whiff. "Ugh! Do you smell that?"

Shego puts her hands up. "Hey, it wasn't me."

Drakken stubs his toe on a table near the double doors. A lightning strike shows him the matches on it.

"Ah, glorious." He picks up the matchbook.

"What?"

The mad scientist rips out a match and flips the book over. "I'll tell you in a moment."

The _shhhrripp_ sound of the match gets Kim's attention. She sniffs the air and grimaces. Her eyes widen. She makes a three-part noise.

The tweebs look at her. "What?"

Shego turns toward the dining room. "Doc, did you hear something?"

Jim and Tim take a whiff. Another flash of lightning shows Drakken still trying to strike the match. "I can't hear anything over this weather." They start to understand and rush her to behind the wall.

"I think she said..."

"...take cover!" The Possibles cover each other.

"But, Doc, Kim Possible--"

The doctor persists in trying to get a light. "Tell me about Kim Possible. She has this beautiful home, and still, she has to destroy what I work towards. And not only that, but she can't even fix it up for company. It just burns me up that my plans go up in flames because of...a slob!"

The match lights up. With a whoosh of fire, Drakken flies through the living room, past the foyer and into the kitchen. Shego flies across the living room and right through the window. They both groan.

(...outside the Possible home...)

Ron rushes up the pathway to the house, the Aurora Orchid in his hands. The explosion knocks him to the ground.

He slowly sits up. His mouth hangs open. The lower portion of the house is in flames.

"Kim!"

The young man cautiously approaches the house. He looks up at Kim's window.

"Kim!"

"Ron!" His attention is drawn by what sounds like a pair of voices speaking at once.

Ron can just make out Jim and Tim in the dining room window.

He puts down the flower and runs at the glass. It fails to break. The teenager rubs his shoulder to ease the pain. He beats on the window. Still solid. Ron lies against the window.

Jim and Tim, each at one end, unbolt the latch. The window opens.

Ron reaches his arms out and grabs the boys, one after the other. "Where's Kim?"

"She's still inside...", Jim states after a cough.

"...and something's wrong with her."

"I know." He looks around. His gaze fixes on a young woman...well, 18 percent of one. Her eyes are closed, most likely passed out due to smoke inhalation.

Ron grabs Kim and lifts her out through the window.

He picks up the Aurora Orchid and shakes it on the remnants of her body. "Please work."

Kim inhales the pollen that shakes loose from the flower. Her body starts to reform itself: her mouth, her back, her bust... The men shield their eyes from the reformation of Kim's naughty bits. Rufus pops out of Ron's pocket and looks away as well.

Ron grabs the table cloth from inside and drapes it around Kim.

Her green eyes greet her savior. "Ron..."

He offers nothing more than a smile. "I'm sure you'd do the same for me. No big."

She gives him a big hug. "I've never been happier to have you as a friend." He returns it.

"Back at you."

Kim adjusts the table cloth as Ron pulls out the Kimmunicator. The screen comes to life. "Wade."

"Ron. Did you get back? Is Kim all right?"

"Ask her yourself." He hands the device to his friend.

"Hey, Wade." She smiles.

"Kim. I'm glad you're okay."

"Wade? Could you get the fire department over here?"

"They're on the way."

The Kimmunicator is switched off. Ron puts his arm around Kim. Jim and Tim walk beside them.

Ron laughs a bit. "Your parents are gonna kill you."

"Do you realize how much insurance..."

"...Mom and Dad put on this house?"

The redhead chuckles. "We'll be fine."

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A/N: This marks my second straight episode adaptation. Unlike "Sink or Swim", however, I don't particularly care for this episode. It starts out well, but then Kim accepts Josh's invitation and it just soars straight down the porcelain. While "Blush" isn't quite the worst episode out there (I heartily believe that "Royal Pain", "Return to Wannaweep" and "The Full Monkey" will, one day, be recognized as the instruments of torture they were obviously designed to be), it is certainly the most infuriating, hence this alternate telling. I like to think that the characters are more believable here than they were in the episode.

Thanks for reviewing and have a nice day.


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